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A new study has found that Brits with healthy bowel habits spend an equivalent of eight months of their adult life on the toilet.

The study discovered that we use the toilet around eight times a day on average for a wee or a number two.

This amounts to just over 15 minutes every day or almost two hours a week on the loo.

Incredibly, a third admitted that sitting on the toilet was one of the only occasions they actually get some time to themselves.

It also emerged women are more likely to strike up a conversation in a public loo with a stranger than men are.

Simon Bayley, from digital DIY bowel cancer test, Measurebowelhealth.com, which commissioned the research, said: ‘We were surprised at how much time some Brits seem to spend sitting on the loo.

‘It’s something we all do, but rarely discuss – yet ‘toilet etiquette’ is a huge part of modern life, whether that’s at home, work or out in public.

(Picture: Getty)

‘A loo break is a pause from whatever else you might be doing, but it can also be a really good opportunity to get a glimpse at your health.

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‘Your toilet habits can tell you a lot about what’s going on inside your body.’

The study also found one fifth of respondents admit they’d feel weird if they were sitting on the toilet without their phone to fiddle with.

And Brits are now more likely to look through their phone or simply sit there and think than read a newspaper, suggesting the classic habit of reading on the loo may be a thing of the past.

Almost one in twenty even admitted to talking on the phone while in the bathroom.

But there are some no-nos when it comes to toilet behaviour with 65% of men saying they would find it unacceptable if another man used the urinal right next to them – if there were others free.

And the horror scenario of using a public toilet only to discover too late there was no loo roll would see a quarter of Brits ask a stranger to hand them some.

But 24% would wait until they thought the coast was clear, before waddling to the next cubicle with their trousers around their ankles.

(Picture: Getty)

More than six in 10 adults have also been left embarrassed after entering a bathroom where the previous user left a bad smell – only to open the door afterwards and find someone else waiting to go in.

The research, carried out via OnePoll, also found six in 10 Brits reckon they can get a good measure of their overall health – by the state of their bowel movements.

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And one in four admit they always have a peek into the toilet after going for a number two to keep an eye out for any worrying health concerns.

One in four adults also say they have noticed blood in their stools are using the toilet, though only a quarter of these mad an appointment with their doctor about it, with the majority delaying it for as long as possible out of embarrassment.

Instead, if they felt there was something seriously wrong, they would wait eight days to book an appointment with the doctor.

Symptoms of bowel cancer

• Obvious bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
• A change in your bowel habit
• Diarrhoea or constipation lasting for more than 7 days
• Unexplained weight loss
• A pain or lump in your tummy

If you have these symptoms, seek advice from your GP

Using proprietary electrochemical technology, the measure Bowel Health Test allows you to test your bowel health in the privacy of your own home.

It checks for Faecal Occult Blood (FOB), which is low level bleeding invisible to the human eye, which is an early indicator of various gastrointestinal diseases including bowel cancer and stomach ulcers.

GP and author Dr Ellie Cannon said: ‘We know early diagnosis for bowel cancer increases survival rates, but many believe this is an ‘older’ person’s disease.